The Light
by Temporarily-Obsessed
Summary: The last laugh. She reminds him of their exploits, of everything they did together. The last smile. She tells him that she would spy on him and Suki. The last hope. He chokes and blood spills out. "I love you," she tells him.


**The Light**

The sun was high in the sky when they came.

Now the moon is leaving the sky.

It isn't enough time.

* * *

She heard him laugh and felt him drape his arm around _her_. They were so damn _perfect_ for each other. So damn _happy_ together. It was so unfair.

Four years. That's how long it had been. So much had changed, but not what was supposed to. He was supposed to grow up and forget about that one girl and move on until he found out that girl he was supposed to love was watching the whole time. Well, not _watching_, she corrected herself, but whatever. She saw it in a way, so what did it matter if she didn't get her verbs right in her own head?

Technically, she shouldn't be here. But she always was, anyway. Despite the fact that it burned with every stupid joke, despite the fact that she clenched her fists every time he laughed at something _she_ said. Despite the fact that, when she finally went to bed at night, she could feel the crescents in her palms that her nails had left. Despite every damn thing.

She wanted to touch that stupid wolftail and tell him that she wanted to run her fingers through his hair without it being tied back. She wanted to dance her fingers over his neck to feel that scar the swamp Waterbender had left. She wanted to tell him about her childhood and have him crack a stupid, stupid joke about her parents. She wanted to punch his arm and then lean over and kiss the bruise. She wanted so much of him. So much he would never give. Because he loved _her_. Because he didn't see her that way. Because she was not what he wanted. Because she wasn't _her_.

Damn _her_.

Damn her.

Damn him.

Damn everything.

They said good-bye, and she felt Sokka's heart race just a bit as he leaned over and brushed his lips against _hers_. She touched her fingers to her lips. He would never kiss her.

As he walked past the bush (yes, she hid in the bush. Big whoop), she jumped out.

"Hey, Snoozles."

Of course he jumped, oblivious idiot that he was.

"Whoa! Toph, I asked you not to do that anymore!" he complained.

"Wimp," she laughed, and, as always, punched him.

"Ow."

"You're such a loser."

"Shut up, Toph," he said wearily, but, as always, jokingly.

A joke. That's all she was to him.

They talk, they laugh, they joke, and they punch. It's cycle. A cycle of friendship, nothing more. Despite what she wants. What she needs. What he doesn't see.

He doesn't see them coming. But she feels them.

"Sokka!" she yells. "Your right!"

He whirls around, pulling out his sword and leaving behind a trail of blood on the enemy. For his trouble, a blast of fire singes his arm.

_Fire Nation dissenters._

She pulls up a wall of earth around them.

"Put it down! We have to fight!" he yells at her.

"There's hundreds of them, Sokka! They probably planned an ambush on the tribe!"

"They're probably headed for Katara and Aang!" he screams at her, his stance telling her he's panicked.

Of course. He's worried about his sister.

"I'll let it down," she relents. "On three." She paused. "Three!"

"That's unfa-" Then he gasped.

Oh, spirits.

Oh, no.

Oh.

"Save them!" he managed. "Be fine. Save them!"

"Sokka-" she started, coming towards him.

"Save them!" he demanded, his body crumbling.

What else could she do? She killed them all.

All of them.

Sokka.

She went to him. Cradles him.

"Sokka," she whispered.

"Toph," he smiled. "You might wanna get Katara."

"Katara!" she screamed.

"I could have done that," he complained.

"Real sure," she replied, blinking.

Katara comes. Aang comes. Suki comes.

She takes him away.

"I can't…" Katara chokes. "It's too much. Too deep. He's going to… Sokka's going to…"

She cries out and falls to her knees.

"Why?"

Aang kneels next to her.

"I don't know. I don't know. I don't know."

"Why…"

Katara takes her time. Tells him he won't make it, tells him everything.

Aang is next.

Then Hakota.

Suki is next.

Everyone says good-bye.

Toph is almost last.

Last.

The last laugh. She reminds him of their exploits, of everything they did together.

The last smile. She tells him that she would spy on him and Suki.

The last hope. He chokes and blood spills out.

"I love you," she tells him.

He smiles again.

"I love you too," he says nonchalantly.

The last breath.

"More than you could possibly know," she tells him.


End file.
